Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! Well, here it is, the last chapter. I just want to say, before you read it, thanks for making my first fanfic so much fun! I'm thinking about doing some more, and I was even thinking about making a sequel to this one. If you think this is a bad idea, or if you think I should be banned from fanfics forever, just let me know. I hope this chapter makes you happy. I think that's all I have to say, sorry for typos. And now, here it is...the last chapter...sniff, aw,I promised myself I wouldn't cry :-) Thanks, guys! Off you go...
In the next few days after Booth and the squints headed back to D.C., the police worked tirelessly questioning the insane gunman from the coffeehouse and searching his property. It was learned that the man's name was Phil Jamewood. He had been raised in Maryland, but did not seem to have a real permanent residence as an adult. He owned houses, not surprisingly, in all the locations the victims had been taken from. He also owned houses in Pittsburg and New Jersey. When the police searched his small trailer on Chincoteague they were horrified to find shoeboxes filled with pictures of all the victims, along with the pictures of at least three other girls whose remains had not been found. The pictures were cut and bent, some of them destroyed, and it appeared that at some point someone had attempted to destroy the contents of some of the boxes entirely. There were notebooks filled with handwritten love letters, written in a slanted, childlike scrawl, proclaiming undying love and devotion. There were letters to and pictures of Abby as well, and when copies of the photos arrived at Booth's office, he was sickened to see that some of the pictures appeared to have been taken with a cell phone while standing in the coffeehouse. Bones was in the frame in a few of the shots.
Further questioning and investigation brought to light more information on Phil. While searching one of his properties, the authorities found a large clothing box that held bones. They sent them to Temperance for identification, and Temperance noted that they were the remains that went with the two osteoporosis finger bones that she had discovered. It later came to light that the bones were those of Phil's grandmother, the woman who had raised him. Phil finally admitted that he had been sexually victimized as a child by his grandmother, and that that was why he had to kill her; because his love for her was impure.
A psychologist was called in to analyze Phil's mental functioning. It was determined that the years of sexual and psychological abuse he had suffered had caused him to have extremely warped and twisted views on love and relationships. He became obsessed with purity, and his naturally addictive personality only added fuel to the fire. He would meet a potential victim in a restaurant, etc, and would develop an attachment to them. He would then convince himself that they loved him as well, and he would embark on what he called "a quest to save them". He would kidnap his victim, and then, when she expressed natural terror, he would believe it was because she was impure. He would then kill her and rape her, though the order of these two activities was not fixed, and he would take her Chincoteague for burial, as his grandmother had raised him near the area. Vince, it was learned, was merely a victim who got in the way.
Authorities also learned through a series of journals seized from Phil's home his methods for abducting his victims in daylight. He would approach them with an object of some sort, usually money, and insist that they had dropped it. He would then attempt to gain their trust, and would either take them then or would wait and take them later that day. The proximity granted by the gesture of returning something gave him the needed opportunity to touch his victims. Often he would talk to them for a moment after "returning" their money, etc, and then would persuade them to come with him, often by physically overpowering them. The fact that he often would be speaking to his victims near a car gave him a simple method of forcing and transporting them. When this evidence was brought to Booth's attention, he instantly remembered the day in the parking lot with Abby and the man. He had been trying to give the girl a five dollar bill. Booth shook his head in amazement.
Booth and Temperance didn't speak about the day in the hotel room afterward, and when they got back to D.C. their stacks of paperwork kept them from seeing one another. Temperance's thoughts were conflicted, and although Angela questioned her, she pushed her friend away. She didn't know what she wanted, and she wasn't in the mood to hear how perfect Booth was.
The truth was she knew that Booth was perfect. She knew that her relationship with Brian was a superficial one, but somehow she felt safer with this knowledge. If she stayed with Brian, she would have a relationship that would be easy to control. If she had to breakup with Brian for some reason, she knew she would experience little or no pain at the loss of him. With Booth, that wasn't the case. With Booth she had an emotional investment that startled and terrified her. Booth filled her thoughts, invaded her dreams, and made her feel different than any other man ever had.
By the time the next Friday arrived, Tempe had made her choice. She sat at her desk, waiting for her date to come meet her, and she mental reminded herself that this was the right thing. She had examined the evidence, and she knew she had made the right choice. This was logical. Her eyes flicked for a moment at the button that sat on her desk. Booth's button. She turned her eyes away.
Her date arrived in the doorway a few moments later. "Ready to go?" he asked, his face bright.
Temperance smiled at Brian. "Yeah," she answered. "Let's go."
On that very same Friday night, Booth was sitting at home with his son, laughing at the Flintstones on TV as he played Go Fish and ate animal crackers. Parker squealed in delight as Fred dropped a bowling ball on his foot on the screen, and Booth smiled as he watched the boy. Ever since his near brush with death, he had wanted to spend time with Parker, and after a few days of insisting, Rebecca had relented. She had dropped Parker off at Booth's house earlier that afternoon, and she was coming to pick him up again at 9pm.
The boy laughed again as he grabbed a cracker and stuffed in his mouth. "Go Fish!" the boy squealed.
Booth smiled, drawing a card from the pile. The two continued to play as the noise on the screen continued and the lights from the pictures flashed across the room. Outside, a light drizzle that had begun earlier that day continued to leak from the sky, and Booth glanced at the clock. Parker's mom would be there soon. For a second, Booth's thoughts flicked to Temperance. He hadn't heard from her, and sadly he knew that must mean that she was out with Brian. His heart sank a little, but he pushed the thought away, focusing on his little boy.
A short while later, Booth saw headlights flash in his windows.
"Okay, bud. Mommy's here, time to go." Booth tried to hide the reluctance in his voice as he spoke. Rebecca knocked on the door a moment later.
Booth gathered up his son's things and walked him to the door. He handed the child's book bag to his mother, who gave him a tight but cool smile. He then grabbed the boy quickly, causing him to squeal as his father tickled him slightly. The child wriggled in Booth's arms. Booth then hugged him tightly, and buried his nose in his little boy's hair. "Love you, buddy," Booth said.
"Love you, Daddy," Parker's small voice said. Booth reluctantly put his son down then, and Rebecca took his hand, leading him away. Booth stood in the doorway, watching as his son rode out of sight, and didn't go back in until the car's taillights had disappeared down the street. He then closed the door, and flopped back onto his couch.
The Flintstones had ended, and now the program switched to the Jetsons. Booth didn't even bother to change the channel as he mutely watched. His thought drifted between his little boy and Temperance. He sighed, mental cursing his luck, or karma, or whatever it was that decided his fate. Why, he wondered, did the two people he loved the most in the world have to also be the two people who were kept away from him
Booth froze for a moment. Where had that come from? He didn't love Temperance, he just…he sighed. He knew it was pointless. As he dropped his eyes shut, he allowed his mind to admit it. He loved her. He was in love with Temperance Brennan.
He heard a knocking on his door then, and he realized that Parker had probably forgotten something. With a sigh, he rose from the couch, straightening his sweatpants and tee shirt as he crossed to the door, and pulled it open.
The sight that greeted him made him freeze. Temperance was standing in his doorway, her hair, face, and clothing, soaked with the rain. They both stood for a moment, neither moving. Then Booth saw her shiver slightly as a soft breeze pushed its way through the night. "Hey," she said, quietly.
"Hey," he answered. He regained his senses when she shivered again, and quickly moved to let her in. "Sorry, come in."
She nodded, and lowering her eyes, she walked through the door. He closed it behind her and pushed his hands into his sweatpants pockets. "So…" he said, feeling uncomfortable.
"So," she returned. After a beat of silence, she sighed. "I can't do it, Booth."
He glanced at her strangely. "Do what?"
She reached in her pocket and pulled out his button. "This is yours," she said.
He looked at the button for a moment before his brain registered it significance. "Oh," he softly replied.
Temperance nodded. "It's over, Booth." Booth felt as though his heart were being ripped from his chest. "I dumped him."
Booth's head snapped up. "You…what?"
Temperance still didn't meet his eyes. "I just couldn't do it," she said. "Not after being with…not after know what it's like to…" she shook her head, searching for words. "I just couldn't. And I know that I hurt you, and I know that this isn't right, and I know…"
Temperance's voice was silenced when Booth crossed to her with one step and covered her mouth with his. She responded immediately, kissing him back, and they wrapped their arms around each other. The rain that had seeped through her clothing began to be absorbed by Booth's clothes, and soon the two were standing breathless in Booth's living room, both wet, both clinging to one another.
When they broke for air, Booth looked into Temperance's eyes and the two smiled. "So, do this mean…?" Booth began.
Temperance just smiled at him and pulled his head back toward hers, capturing him with a searing kiss.
After a few minutes of standing in the living room, the kisses became more urgent. Soon Temperance felt Booth leading her to his bedroom, as the kiss continued. When they arrived, they fell back on the mattress, searching one another, clinging to one another. After a few frantic moments of undressing, they soon united moaning and murmuring one another's names, expressing their happiness, until release came and they found peace.
Afterwards, when they lay still on the bed, Booth holding Temperance close to his chest, he heard her speak quietly. "Hey, Booth?"
"Yeah, Bones?"
"Thank you."
Booth shifted so he could look at her face. "For what?"
"For waiting for me."
Booth looked into her eyes for a moment before bringing his lips to hers and kissing her firmly. She responded, touching his face, as he held her closer. When the kiss ended, Temperance looked into his eyes again.
"And Booth?"
"Yeah, Bones?" he said, his eyes closed.
"I love you, too."
Booth opened his eyes quickly and looked at Temperance's face. Her eyes were closed and she nestled against his chest. He felt his heart swell in his chest. She knew. And she felt the same way. He hugged her tightly.
"Night, Temperance."
He felt her smile against his chest.
"Night, Seeley."
A week later, Temperance and Booth were sitting at a small Italian restaurant in D.C., having dinner with Hodgins, Angela, Zach, and very nice young girl named Anna who Zach had recently started dating. Temperance smiled. When she had arrived back home she had called Meg and apologized profusely for missing her visit. Meg had dismissed the apology, and the two had agreed that Meg would come back to town later in the summer. Meg had then asked about Booth, and Temperance had smiled. Booth, she had answered, was well.
Apparently Meg's instruction on the world of dating had been useful to Zach, though he still seemed slightly nervous around his new girlfriend. The girl, however, didn't seem to notice, and Angela noted the way the two stared at each other. She smiled. It was sweet, innocent. She glanced over at Temperance and Booth to see if they noticed, but almost laughed when she realized they were too busy talking to and smiling at each other to notice Zach's new relationship.
After dinner, Booth and Temperance decided to go for a walk around the city. Angela had smiled at the pair when they said their goodbyes, winking at Temperance as saying "have fun!" as the pair left. Hodgins took Angela's hand and lead her away as well, as Zach and Anna prepared to go to a late movie.
Temperance and Booth walked hand in hand down the street, talking easily and laughing. After a while, Booth paused and pulled Temperance to him. He kissed her passionately, ignoring the fact that they were standing in the middle of the street, and his touch made Temperance forget where they were as well. They kissed, but were then interrupted when Booth's cell phone began impatiently ringing.
Booth broke the kiss and began to speak angrily. "Why?" he demanded. "Why does the universe insist that every time I kiss you a phone has to ring? Why can't I just kiss you in peace?"
Temperance smiled, laughing slightly, and she planted a quick kiss on Booth's cheek. "Just answer the phone."
Booth gave her a boyish smile, and pulled his phone from his pocket. "Booth," he said into the mouthpiece.
Temperance and Booth continued to walk as Booth spoke to the caller. After a few minutes, he hung up and pushed the phone back in his pocket. He then stopped walking, pulled Temperance to him again, and kissed her. "We have a new case, Dr. Brennan," he said when they broke.
Temperance smiled at him, and they began walking again, fingers entwined, as Booth gave her the preliminary details on the case.
FIN.
Review if you want to, this is the last chapter after all :-)